Monthly Archives: June 2016

Big, beautiful home landscapes are on everyone’s favorite Houzz boards, but what can you do when you don’t have the budget for something so grand? Follow these tips to achieve backyard bliss, regardless of your cash on hand:

Home Landscaping on a Budget

Flowers Galore

Plants and flowers add interest to any space. Stick to perennial additions that will pop up year after year, rather than purchasing new plants each season. Looking for somewhere to place them? Rather than splurging on expensive containers, raid your kitchen cabinets for chipped dishware–even an empty fishbowl will work for your potted plants. Get creative, scour neighborhood yard sales for unique (and cheap) finds, and save.

Compost Pile

Don’t throw away those kitchen scraps. Your garden will love the nutrients they provide. Create a compost pile. Not only can it save you a few bucks on fertilizer, and rich dirt, but it will also help keep these items out of the landfill.

Love Thy Neighbor

Has your neighbor been gifted with a green thumb? If so, it’s about time you two buddied up! Instead of springing on expensive lawn equipment that you’ll only use once or twice each season, why not see if your neighbor has equipment you can borrow (or rent) for the day? Judging by their yard, your neighbor may also be a great person to ask for gardening, and home landscaping advice.

Shop Smart

If you’ve had your eye on certain landscaping tools, don’t buy them in the spring or early summer. Wait until late summer, fall, or winter to check those clearance racks. Stores mark up must-have items depending on the season. A little patience can have a big payoff!

Mulch It

Pulling weeds isn’t fun, but mulch can help keep your flower beds strong, and tidy. Use the right amount of mulch for your yard to not only create a finished, polished look, but to also keep down weeds, and avoid lost nutrients. Just make sure you don’t buy more than you need!

Economical and Beautiful Landscaping

Use common sense when you work on your yard this summer. Don’t buy something just because it is on sale. See if it fits your landscaping goals, and matches the needs of your specific region.

Give your landscape the best possible start by turning to a trusted landscaping company. Blue Tree Landscaping is the one-stop-shop for everything lawn, garden, and pool. Contact Blue Tree Landscaping today to see what their professionals can do for you.

Summer is for running through sprinklers, playing endless games of tag, and catching fireflies. But, all of that wear and tear can be hard on a lawn. So, what can you do to keep it looking, and feeling, its best all season long? Follow these steps for green, lush grass that’s comfortable underfoot, and ready for whatever the summer season throws your way.

Healthy Summer Lawns

Know the Lawn

What sort of lawn do you have? Is your grass a “cool season” grass, like Fescue or Bluegrass, or “warm season” grass, like Zoysia or Bermuda? Cool season grasses prefer temperatures in the 60s, while “warm season” grasses grow best in the 70s. But, in Montgomery County, summer can hit hard. When temperatures fall outside these ranges, grass may brown, dry out, or even lie dormant. Watering it won’t bring it back! You’ll have to be patient, and wait for the cooler temperatures of the fall to arrive. Next year, prevent this dormant state by watering your lawn often, and deeply, to foster roots that can handle any drought.

Water the Lawn

You know your lawn needs watering, but you may not realize that the best time to water your grass is in the morning, when you can help prevent fungal growth, and evaporation. Healthy summer lawns need an inch of water a week, and even more when higher temperatures kick in.

Mow the Lawn

If your lawn hasn’t gotten a good rain lately, set the lawnmower blade up a few notches. Shoot for 3” or 4” high blades to help prevent new weeds from forming. Ensure that your mower blades are kept sharp to avoid damaging the grass. It will help keep your grass from drying out too quickly, while also protecting the roots. A good rule of thumb is to cut no more than 1/3 of a blade of grass each time you mow.

Aerate the Lawn

Give your lawn’s roots the oxygen they need by aerating your lawn this summer. To properly aerate your lawn, simply remove small plugs of soil. Doing so will give your grass’s roots more room to grow. Once you finish aerating your lawn, you can also apply weed killer to the open holes.

Improve Your Lawn Savvy

Knowing how to mow, water, and fertilize your lawn goes a long way toward helping your yard stay healthy during the summer months. Keep your lawn in the best possible shape all season long by turning to the landscaping professionals.

If you’re a homeowner that’s debating whether you should install an inground backyard pool this summer, you should know that there are more benefits to this addition than a fun day in the sun. Here’s why you should take the plunge, and install an inground backyard pool:

Benefits of an Inground Pool

Fitness First

What could be more convenient than having access to a standout workout option in your own backyard? While swimming is clearly beneficial, walking, or even jogging in the pool is a great way to get, and stay, in shape. Water puts less stress on the joints, so almost anyone can fit in a workout, regardless of their physical condition. Install a pool heater so you can extend the swimming season even longer, and get started earlier.

Curb Appeal

A well-maintained swimming pool makes a statement all on its own, but when paired with professional landscaping, it can create a real “wow” factor. An inground backyard pool provides additional customization options to fit your unique style. Your pool design can take advantage of the many features available, like hot tubs and water slides, and can utilize different shapes, waterfalls, and grottos.

Health Matters

Having your own inground pool isn’t just fun. It can also improve your health. A crowded community pool leaves little room for any real swimming, and worst of all, can contain unhealthy, unnoticeable problems, ranging from E. coli to athlete’s foot. Your private pool, however, won’t be catering to the masses. You’ll have control over who enters the pool, while routine maintenance will keep it clean, and safe.

Family Fun

You’ll see your friends and family in a whole new way: relaxed and happy! No one can resist a swimming pool, especially if you’ve added child-friendly touches to your pool design. Your Philly home will become a favorite hangout. You’ll see more of your children, and chances are, your kids will see more of their relatives. It’s the one place where cellphones can’t interrupt. You can finally get the entire household to unplug, and enjoy each other’s company.

Sunny Days

An inground backyard pool is more than a nice thing to have. It’s a great way to reconnect with family, stay healthy, and make your home landscape design all your own.

For an irresistible inground pool, consult the professionals at Blue Tree Landscaping. From planning to design to maintenance (and even pool repair), Blue Tree Landscaping is the one-stop-shop for everything lawn.

When it comes to landscaping, we often focus on things like curb appeal, and forget to consider one important element: the kids. If there are children in your home, you’ll need to keep them in mind when designing your home landscape. With these great tips, you won’t need to sacrifice style for inclusivity:

Home Landscaping Ideas Kids Love

Chalkboard Fun

Chalk isn’t just for sidewalks. Add an element of eye-catching art with a chalkboard addition to your fencing. You are no longer locked into basic black either. From red to blue, there’s an array of chalkboard paint colors available to complement any landscape style. Simply paint a piece of backer board, and add it to your fence. Then, let the chalk drawing fun begin.

Swings

Kids need a place to relax. Swings can provide both a restful spot, and a fun addition to your yard. Purchase a hammock swing, a hanging bowl chair, or even an old-fashioned tire swing. As your kids get older, what may have started out as a children’s plaything will quickly turn into a favorite spot to read, or spend time with friends.

A Day at the Beach

When you can’t make it to the beach, you can still get that sun-kissed feeling at home. Consider integrating a spacious sandbox in your landscape design. Top it with an awning so the kids can build, and play while staying protected from the sun’s rays. Just remember to cover it with a tarp when it’s not in use.

Tree house Fun

A tree house is what you make of it. Whether it’s in an actual tree, or works as a playhouse on the ground, kids can’t resist the appeal of a secret space that’s all their own. Use hardscaping materials that are already found in your backyard landscape to tie it into your overall design.

Musical Fence

Turn that barren spot of fencing into a toddler’s dream come true. Add colorful xylophones. Dig out your battered cake pans or bowls, and add in the pots you no longer need. Then leave wooden spoons or other metal utensils so the kids can drum away on these hanging objects. It’s music to the ears of any creative noisemaker.

Landscaping for the Kids

Don’t forget your children’s needs when working on your landscaping projects. Consult the experts so you can get your yard in tip-top shape for the season, and beyond.

Is your inground swimming pool missing a little something? Design your pool to include elements that not only tie into your landscape design, but also fit your style. Add a bit of sparkle, and plenty of fun with these pool remodeling tips.

Features That Can Improve Your Inground Pool

Heater

It can take a week to open the pool for the season, and another week or two for the water to warm up. A pool is a major investment. Get the most out of it by extending the life of your pool with a heater, so you can swim around beyond those summer months.

Water Features

An inground swimming pool can boast fun touches, like water jets. Add a waterfall that’s hidden in a grotto, or go for a modern look with a wall of sheer waterfalls. Fountains, such as deck jets or bubblers, can be easily added to any pool–either within the pool itself, or as a detached feature that provides a touch of drama.

Hot Tubs

Get the spa feel right at home. Whether you install a standalone hot tub, or you include a spillover spa that connects your inground pool with your hot tub, it will quickly become a favorite pool time destination.

Water Slides

Gone are the days when water slides came in a single size. Today’s waterslides can have a fast drop, a gentle curve, or a corkscrew for longer slides. Children and adults can’t resist this eye-catching, interactive feature.

Lighting

Pool lighting is often overlooked, but the right lighting makes any space more appealing, and definitely more usable. Your pool lighting should match the tone set by the rest of your landscape. Look for long-lasting, energy efficient LED lighting, add a touch of ambience with submerged moon lighting, or consider the use of uplighting, in which lights can play against taller landscaping elements, like trees.

Pool Cleaner

Sometimes, it’s the elements you don’t see that make a project truly come together. A pool cleaner can brush, and clean your pool while minimizing the need for hands-on work. Simply empty the bag after it fills up, and in a matter of hours, you can relax in a spotless pool.

Update Your Inground Pool

Don’t let your inground pool just sit there. Make it a welcoming focal point, and a center of all the action, with these timely summer landscaping tips.

Renovating a pool can be tricky. Leave it to the experts at Blue Tree Landscaping. From design to planning and maintenance, your Philly home landscape is in good hands.